Parents concerned after school bus route ends

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Back to school means back on the bus for thousands of kids in Central Florida, but one local family is upset that their kids won't be on the bus and will have to walk across some busy streets to get to school.

The Kim Family lives in Avalon Park. Their three kids, ages 5, 8, and 10, go to Castle Creek Elementary. For the past few years, they rode the bus, but this year, Orange County Public Schools says the kids have to walk to school, including going across East Colonial Drive. They say the change was made, because construction on Colonial Dr. has wrapped up, and the district says, technically, the walk for the children is only 1.8 miles, which is under the minimum distance for bus pickup.

"I don't want a chance for my kid to be snatched up, when a bus is a whole lot safer," said father Dean Kim. "So the only option I have is to take them by car."

School officials say their hands are tied by budget constraints. For now, there's no bus for elementary student, but there is one for middle and high schoolers.